Do Me a Favor KenshixReader
by KitCatesby
Summary: Jacqui has everything under control for her wedding day. Her mom and uncle are walking together, Gram and Granddad are escorted by an usher, her Daddy will take her down the aisle, and Mr. Takahashi doesn't . . . have a wife. Fortunately, you're a friend of the family and you don't have a date either. (A two-part KenshixReader narrative.)


"Do Me a Favor"

KenshixReader

/Wedding Day, Part 1\

You had been called a week prior to the wedding, in the middle of work on one hazy afternoon. You set your files aside and stepped into the hall, noticing it was Jacqui. There was a sort of weight dropped on your shoulders at the thought of another long phone call consisting of her talking about what colors you needed to be wearing. Jacqui, before she even would have been thinking about marriage, would have laughed at the idea of worrying about that kind of thing. But you knew who was really pulling the strings here—Jax had always wanted this day to be perfect for his little girl.

You answer the phone and laugh meekly, "Lavender blouse, cream colored skirt, no heels. I got it covered, I promise."

But her voice on the other end of the phone sounded hesitant to laugh with you. "Haha, I bet you do. Look, uh, how are you?"

"Jacqui?" You immediately suspect the worst. Takeda's called the whole thing off, or Jax had snapped after ordering the wrong color of tablecloth, or worse—she was having second thoughts herself.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! It's not me, it's not Takeda, everyone's good."

"Okay, then what's wrong? And don't lie to me, something's off, I can tell."

She laughs this time, and it sounds genuine. "You and mom, I'm telling ya. Both of you have like, radar or something. You can tell when anything's wrong. Guess that comes from being friends for so long."

You smirk and feel a little at ease. At least Vera had had her say in whatever the problem was. That was a relief in itself.

"Look, it's just a small thing really, but Dad's been on my back about it. It's Takeda's dad."

You vaguely, in the back of your mind, recall meeting him . . . once? At a small get together of the soon-to-be married couple. It was hazy, you were slightly tipsy, and almost every man there had a beard, so it was hard to remember a specific face.

"What about him?"

"Well, he doesn't have anyone to walk down the aisle with him when we're seating people. Like, my mom and my uncle are walking together, Gram and Granddad are escorted by an usher, Daddy's walking me, and Mr. Takahashi doesn't . . . have a wife."

"So he's divorced? Divorced men can walk down the aisle, or he can stand by Takeda, or—,"

"Kung Jin is Takeda's best man, he's standing next to him."

"Okay. Yea, that is a predicament. What do you need me for? Vera's probably got this under control, unless keeping Jax from going overboard is taking up all her attention." You laugh, and again, she echoes with a nervous chuckle.

". . . Jacqui?"

"Will you—uh—will you be Mr. Takahashi's date?"

You snort so loud that surely your co-workers could have heard you from down the hall. "His date? Seriously? Do you know how old I am? I passed being a "date" a long time ago." You bend over with laughter. "Honey, I'm practically an elder, sit me with your gram!"

"You're like, early thirties."

You stop laughing and retort, "I'm in my twenties, Jacqui."

"Come on, please? You don't have a date, right?"

You mumble a reluctant, "Well, I haven't . . . I was going to ask someone from the office. Eventually."

"Great, so you're free?" Jacqui already sounds triumphant. And despite your earlier lack of enthusiasm, you smirk and shake your head. She may have Jax's temper, but she has Vera's ambition, that's for sure.

"Alright, I'll do it." You instantly hear Jax's sigh of relief through the other end; of course he'd been listening in. Jacqui thanks you over and over, promises to see you there, then hangs up the phone.

You stand in the hall for a moment, contemplating. It'd been awhile since you'd been on a date. you weren't joking about that. Now there suddenly was this pressure to look better than you'd initially planned to. You'd have to buy more of that lipstick that you liked so much, and maybe you should wear your hair up? After a few moments of panic, you decide that since it is not _your_ wedding day, you shouldn't have to worry this much, and you return to your office.

/

The ceremony took place outdoors, in a pasture outside the Brigg's farm. Wildflowers were abundant this time of year, making the dreary meadow seem brighter and healthy. There were chairs lined up in rows in front of an altar that, by rumor, Jax had constructed himself. It was covered in wildflowers as well, tangled around it like vines. Everything was—well, it was pretty perfect. Jax never looked more pleased with himself as he greeted people and talked fondly of his daughter. There were tears in his eyes when he saw you, as if he couldn't keep it in around a close family friend. "She's leaving me," he said, "She's all grown up and she's leaving her Daddy in the dust."

You smile fondly at him and touch his arm. You never could get used to the hard steel, but you made the gesture anyway. "She'll be back, you know that. And you'll have little grandkids driving you insane. You'll love it."

As he moves on to greet Johnny an Sonya, you walk up the wooden steps up the Brigg's house and let yourself in. Vera's voice can be heard from the living room, sharp, clear, calm. It relaxes you just hearing it.

You round the corner and there she is, standing in her wedding dress, looking more like her mother than ever. You feel a bit of a pull on your heart; you cared for both of them so much, and there they were, mother and daughter, welcoming you on one of the most important days of their lives.

"Ah, sweetheart, you look beautiful." You take both of Jacqui's hands and swallow back your tears. She blushes visibly and denies that she looked even half as nice as her mom did on her special day. While the two of them talk back and forth, comparing weddings, you glance around the room and notice Cassie, who's standing by the mirror, struggling to get an earring in. Grandma Briggs was bustling about with a pin cushion attached to her wrist, giving orders to people she found just sitting around. You grinned as you watched her reprimand Grandpa Briggs, who was soundly asleep in a recliner by the TV. No matter how much she prodded at him, he wouldn't stir.

"Are you listening?"

"She spaces out like that. If you could read her mind, you'd find a lot of daydreaming."

You turn back to Jacqui and make a face at Vera for her jokes. "What did you say?"

"Mr. Takahashi is with Takeda. He's a bundle of nerves right now. He better not get cold feet." Jacqui offers you a wry smirk, though you can see right through her. She's just as anxious right now.

"Should I go get him?"

"They should be in the back, still. Make sure they don't try to peek." Vera instructs, adjusting Jacqui's lace collar. "And don't get too eager when you see him."

"What's that supposed to mean," You ask with a look of confusion.

"Oh he is fine as hell," Vera states, not skipping a beat.

Jacqui gives her mom a disbelieving face. "You are _married."_

"Doesn't mean I'm blind—oh that was in poor taste."

You leave the room to the sound of them laughing heartedly at their inside joke. You were still slightly embarrassed that Vera would assume you'd be so desperate as to swoon over a man you'd just met.

The back room's door was cracked slightly and you couldn't hear a sound from behind it. Thinking they were done with their discussion, you knocked lightly and heard Takeda allow you in. Slipping through the doorway, you carefully closed it behind your back and said, jokingly, "You better not be sneaking peeks, that's bad luck, young man."

"I wasn't!" Takeda swears. You turn around to say something else that will tease him when you see, instead, this man standing beside him, smiling warmly and attentively listening to his son defend himself.

He was blind—that was the first thought that went through your head. His eyes were bound by a single strip of white cloth, which you certainly had never seen before. He was clad in his suit and tie, but the jacket was lying across the guest bed until he needed it. He was, needless to say, everything Vera had said he would be. He wasn't too tall, but he was certainly sturdy and well-maintained as he took a small stride toward you.

"You must be my escort," his voice surprises you. It's so kind, jovial, and young. "I must say, I wasn't expecting to walk with anyone."

"Come on, dad," Takeda interrupts, straightening his tie in the window's reflection. "You couldn't just sit anywhere. You need to be front row, like everyone else in the family."

"It's not like I need the view," Kenshi smiles, making Takeda snort and shake his head.

"They've got me sitting next to Grandmaster Hanzo," Kenshi continues, "I was almost convinced they were going to have me walk _him_ to his seat. I'm sure he would have appreciated that."

You don't even know who Grandmaster Hanzo is, but you laugh anyway, girlishly almost. My, he's charming. And handsome. And he's so much younger-looking that you had imagined!

"We've met before, Mr. Takahashi, but we weren't properly introduced." You tell him your name and recall when you last saw him. He admits to you that he had been drinking a little that day and you can't help but confess the same. The two of you are surprised to notice that Takeda has now conquered his tie and is pacing about the room frantically, in search for his vows.

"I don't understand American wedding procedures," says Kenshi, bemused at his son's plight. "They make a fuss of everything. Though, I suppose, all nuptials are like that. But just look at the poor boy."

You hold back your chuckles as the younger Takahashi finally finds the vow cards and proceeds to stand in front of the glass again, reciting them shakily. "Oh, don't make fun of him. I'm sure you were just as anxious on your wedding day."

There must have been an error in what you'd said, for the room got unnaturally tense all of a sudden. Takeda had stopped saying his vows and instead looked down at the cards with an expression that conveyed he wasn't reading them. Kenshi, though you could not see his eyes, had set his jaw and turned himself away from you. The silence in the room made you uncomfortable, and you wracked your mind for anything to talk about instead. Work? No. Jacqui? No. Vera—?

Just as the thought entered your mind, Kenshi beat you to it. "How long have you known Vera and the family?"

Surprised that he offered the topic himself, you eagerly replied, "Oh, for years. I'm practically part of the family, or at least I like to think I am. They've always been good to me."

"How endearing. This day must mean a lot to you, then?"

You smiled at him, knowing he couldn't see it. But Kenshi smiled back, which comforted you.

"The Brigg's family has been there for me when my own family couldn't be. I've moved across country for my job and I never would have made it without Vera. And now that Takeda's joining the family, I'm happier than ever." You laugh and suddenly the room is back at peace. Takeda seems to be breathing steadily, calming himself, going back and forth with his vows.

"And what about you, Mr. Takahashi? How long have you known the Jax?"

"Well, I've fought alongside Jax many times. An honor, indeed. And, fortunately for my son, Jax knows me well enough to know that my son isn't too untrustworthy." He reaches for and grabs the jacket on the bed. You watch the graceful way he does it, as if he knows without seeing exactly where it's at.

You feel your cheeks flush as he offers you his hand. "We should go greet people. I think Takeda has everything under control here."

You take his arm and are busy admiring the strength of it as he shuts the door behind you. The hallway is narrow, so not only are you arm-to-arm, your hips are touching and your shoulders and pressed tight against each other. You make it a personal effort to not step on his feet as he leads you down the hall.

"I feel like I'm a bad escort," you sigh, only half-joking.

"What makes you say that?" Kenshi is still smiling. His head turns so that he can hear you better. His face is awfully close.

"I feel like, well, um . . . _I_ should be leading _you_ because . . ."

He lets out a low laugh that is made louder by the closeness of the hallway. You feel your face grow even hotter. "Blindness, my dear, has never kept me from moving forward."

"Is that so?" You ask, admiring his facial features in the close proximity. "I'd love to hear more."

He looks flustered at your small gesture of flirtation. He clears his throat and offers you a shaky, "Well, then, we'll have to discuss it in detail, later tonight."

A sudden spark of youth races through you and you can't hold back the grin that spreads across your face. It had been so long since you'd last made a man give you that look of shy confusion. In fact, the last time had ended in a one night stand. You could only say, in defense of yourself, that Mr. Takahashi seemed like a noble man who would not fall prey to you so easily. But, nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to try would it? If you had been dragged into being this man's date for the evening, you could at least give him your best, right?

He leads you into the living room where Vera claps her hands in the air, rushing around and stating, "Alright people, places! Ceremony starts in ten minutes!"

/end of part one\


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